British Analogue Radio for Another 12 Years

New FM licenses good news for small-scale broadcasters

Ofcom is to extend the duration of advertised or re-advertised local commercial analogue radio licenses (AM and FM) from seven to 12 years. The policy changed in 2010 in light of possible announcements on a DAB switchover but in December last year, the Government said that there was still more to do before the transition to digital could be completed.

India Will Have 1.000 New Community Radio Stations

Government aims to license up 1.000 stations on FM in near future

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on 19 June promised a stable policy regime with transparency and time-bound mechanism. Efforts would be streamlined so as to make the process of clearances speedy and transparent. He said that there is a need for expanding the reach of Community Radio and that the ministry aims at opening up of 1000 Community Radio Stations in near future. 

Community Radio on DAB+ in Three Major Cities in France

Not joined by public service and major commercial networks

Today 45 community radio stations - radio asociatifs - in Marseille, Nice and Paris in DAB+ multiplexes. The stations are in most cases those extending its coverage into additional areas or stations which previously have not succeeded to get an FM permit.

There is a low key interest with this premiere as Radio France - the public service broadcaster - will not be on DAB+ because the French government says DAB+ will be to costly. Also the major commercial networks - as RTL - are not participating in DAB developments. According to the media authority CSA there are no plans to switch-off FM radio in France.

Expanding Space for Mobile Online Digital Radio

Europe and South Korea together on 5G mobile technology

It has been projected that by 2023 a mobile traffic increase on the order of 1,000 times is expected. To meet that dramatic traffic growth, next-generation mobile networks are also expected to achieve a 1,000-fold capacity increase compared to the current generation of wireless network deployments. This will include expanded space for mobile distribution of audio/video services as digital radio and television.

According to the European Commission the agreement signed in Seoul today is a milestone in the global race to develop 5G mobile technologies. 

Commercial Radio Leaving DAB+ in Poland

Public Radio At Risk Going DAB Alone

The Polish commercial radio community says it will suspend its work with Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji (KRRiT), the media authority, on the transition to DAB+. 

KRRiT has received a letter signed by broadcasters from Group RMF, Radio Group Agora, Radio Group Time and Eurozet about the requirements of their engagement in the working group and the technical subcommittee. The signees complained that their opinions have been ignored. 

British motor journalist looks beyond DAB radio

DAB radio: dead on arrival?

Slowly, slowly we're seeing more digital radios in cars. But the glacial pace is allowing smarter alternatives to catch up, writes Nick Gibbs in the motor section of the British newspaper Telegraph. With still no switch-off date for analogue AM/FM radio announced and new technologies closing fast, there’s a serious concern that all the (predominantly taxpayers’) cash still being spent on broadening the network will be for nought.

839 New Commercial FM Stations in India

Third Phase of an auction for commercial radio in June

The government of India has issued a request for proposals from companies that want to participate in the country’s e-auction under Phase-III of the licensing process for commercial FM Radio . The auction is now being held after the new government took office in June and will feature 839 FM channels in 294 cities. 

DAB+ Not the Future for Small-scale Broadcasters

FM still the preferred broadcast platform - with DRM+
as future digital choice, according to European 'green paper'

The retention of FM radio is strongly defended and a transition to the DAB system is rejected for Europe’s approximately 9.000 small-scale broadcasters. A complete stand-alone DAB+ structure cannot survive on a free market without significant public funding (taxes or TV license income) in most European countries. A new report – a green paper – commissioned by the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE) questions the credibility of DAB system, highlights the preference of DRM+ as a digital choice and with DVB-T2 Lite as a possibility as well as the importance of online listening for future radio.

Would Google become the Global Broadcaster?

Broadband Satellites a Game Changer in the Spectrum Struggle

Google is planning to spend more than $1 billion on satellites that will offer internet access worldwide from space. Google will begin with 180 small satellites that will orbit the Earth at a lower altitude than most other craft. The project could have a great impact on the global struggle for spectrum in the UHF band, which television broadcasters increasingly are losing to mobile broadband operators. Besides expanding space for video distribution online radio might get almost unlimited access via the satellite network.

New President of Local Radio in Norway Wants To Keep FM

National Organisation: a possible digital transition should be implemented over a longer period with state subsidies

Svein Larsen MD of Radio Metro is elected to President of the Norwegian Local Radio Association (NLF) with an overwhelming vote, but not with any support from SBS Discovery Radio.

Larsen don't want to keep FM and a digital transition should be over time instead of a set switch-off. For digitalization local radio will also need state subsidies. Larsen says that the authorities have been too much concentrated on the major broadcasters leaving local radio behind.

Biggest Growth in UK Digital Listening Is Online

After 19 years with DAB radio still major listening platform is on FM
Digital listening hours for Q1 2014 increased with 2,3 % to 36,6 % of all listening from Q1 2013 according to Rajar. DAB - introduced in the UK 1995 - has the biggest share with 24 % of the 379 million hours of digital listening in Q1. Share of listening via digital television network is 5 %.

The biggest growth in digital listening once again is through online and apps, which share of overall listening is now 6.4%, up 27 % year on year. As the uptake of smartphones and tablets continues, this percentage is expected  to increase and be the main driver of digital listening in the future according to experts. However, the analogue FM platform is still dominant with 60 % of all radio listening in the United Kingdom. More: Rajar Data Release

Politicians urged to revise commercial radio regulations

On-air radio want to come on level with digital radio on-line
British parliament is being urged to relax commercial radio regulations as the platform faces competition from digital services such as Spotify, Deezer and iTunes. Chairman of the All Party Group for Commercial Radio, Andrew Bingham MP, wants new rules to be introduced that create ‘a more level playing field’. In contrast to digital services on line, commercial radio is required to comply with rules on music content, local production and license renewals.